Civil Disobedience
The first recorded instance of civil disobedience is the story of Shifra and Puah, defying Pharaoh
The White Lie
Truthfulness is a fundamental value in Jewish yet truth isn't its highest value. Peace is. Why so?
Generations Forget And Remember
Jacob’s blessing of Ephraim over Manasseh had nothing to do with age and everything to do with names
A Tale Of Two Women
Tamar’s conduct bears an uncanny resemblance to Ruth's; virtuous outsiders at the margins of society
Jacob’s Destiny, Israel’s Name
A Jew is an iconoclast, born to challenge the idols of the age,whatever the idols, whatever the age.
When The “I” Is Silent
Simply too many cases of prayers being answered to deny it makes a difference to our fate. It does.
The Other Face Of Esau
When Jacob was chosen, Esau was not rejected; G-d does not reject.
On Judaism And Islam
Between Judaism and Islam there can be friendship and mutual respect as Abraham loved both his sons.
Babel, Then And Now
The Babel story is the 2nd in a 4-act drama that's unmistakably a connecting thread of Bereishit
The Need For The Beginning
The emphasis on choice, freedom and responsibility is a most distinctive features of Jewish thought.
The Uniqueness Of Sukkot
Sukkot's duality is that it's the most universalistic and the most particularistic of all festivals
The Cry On Yom Kippur
When we cry from the heart, someone listens; When we cry on Yom Kippur, God hears us.
The Virtues Of Judaism
Who am I? What are the most important things in my life? What do I want to be remembered for? If, as a purely...
The Fourteenth Principle
Simply, for Rambam the number 14 (2x7) was his favored organizing principle.
A Nation Of Storytellers
Torah isn't a theological treatise or a metaphysical system but a series of stories linked over time
Against Hate
We believe that God created each of us, regardless of color, class, culture or creed, in His image.
Pursuing Justice
Judaism is a religion of love but also a religion of justice, for without justice, love corrupts.
Defining Reality
Culture is not nature. There are causes in nature, but only in culture are there meanings.
First, You Must Listen
Blind obedience is not a virtue in Judaism. God wants us to understand the laws He has commanded us
The Fewest Of All Peoples
Israel shows the world that a people does not have to be large in order to be great.
Moses: Leading And Teaching
When someone exercises power over us, they diminish us; when someone teaches us, they help us grow.
Leadership In Time Of Crisis
Ours is a small and intensely vulnerable people. Inspired, we rise to greatness. Uninspired, we fall
Prescriptions For Conflict Resolution
The negotiation between Moses and the tribes of Reuven and Gad is a model of conflict resolution.
‘Be Not Afraid Of Greatness’
God’s “name” is therefore His standing in the world. Do people acknowledge Him, respect Him, honor Him?
Followership
The very act of learning in rabbinic Judaism is conceived as active debate, a kind of gladiatorial contest of the mind.